From: "Axel Terizaki" Subject: [Eva][FanFic] The Child Of Love (Novelized) THE CHILD OF LOVE The Novelized Deluxe Edition Okay, this was my first story. I'm now rewriting it in novel format (as opposed to script), to make it even better than it is right now :) I hope you'll be all happy to re-read this story. I also hope you'll be happy to discover new elements in the story, such as additional dialogue, and little things here and there. You can be assured that there won't be any major changes in the plot. I also dedicate this rewrite to my Julie (aka Juju-chan :)). I hope that someday I'll take you to the church, my love :) Now...let the show begin! This story, which we may call "The beginning of a love story between our two sweetest children, Shinji and Asuka" (and VIVE ASUKA!) was inspired by the extremely short (but extremely funny) fanfic "She's WHAT?" by the Flashman (my thanks to him). His e-mail: mxjk67c@prodigy.com His website: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Dojo/3105 And, by the way, Shin Seiki Evangelion is copyrighted by GAINAX. Each character (with one notable exception, who you'll see later) belongs to this great anime series. Everything has been used without permission, but not for profit. And on another note, I think this chapter contains LIME elements. Be warned :) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Original version written by Axel Terizaki (aterizak@free.fr) in script form on 1999 1 24-26 and retooled by Dave Watson (aj153@freenet.carleton.ca) between 1999 02 17-21 & 1999 12 03. New version written by Terizaki circa 2000 2 10-3 14. New version retooled by Watson, 2000 2 23-3 27. Version 2.0. ASUKA's Network: http://www.asuka.com.bi ASUKA's Notebook: http://www.asukanotebook.com.bi --------------------------------------------------------------------- So, here is the sequel. THE BIRTH OF "THE CHILD OF LOVE" (aka Synopsis of "She's WHAT?" :)) Misato was looking for the Second Child, Sohryu Asuka Langley, to get her to come to her weekly synchro test. She was nowhere to be found...but when a NERV doctor phoned Misato, her outburst, "She's *WHAT*?" was heard by everybody in Central Dogma, and it was justified: Asuka is *PREGNANT*. And who's the lucky man??? Don't tell me you couldn't guess at all. Yes, it's Shinji! As usual, Asuka found another absurd way to have fun when she was bored and... well, you can probably guess what happened... CAPTION: -=FIRST MONTH=- CAPTION: The Day After the Announcement The first scene took place in Misato's apartment. Shinji wasn't here yet because he wanted to talk with Ayanami Rei, his fellow pilot, on his way back home. The only ones there were Pen- Pen, Misato, and the now-pregnant Asuka. The kitchen seemed silent, as the two women living with Shinji were glaring at each other from the opposite corners of the room. "I don't think you truly UNDERSTAND what you've done, young lady!!" Misato said, finally breaking the silence. "Shut up! I was bored, okay!?" the redhead replied, trying to use the same tone as her guardian. "But...but...BUT YOU DON'T FUCK SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE BORED!!! That's insane! Sometimes I don't understand you!" "There's nothing to understand, Misato. And you're hardly the one to lecture me, you hypocrite. I saw you doing that with Kaji last month..." Asuka was obviously trying to turn the tables on Misato. Judging by her shocked expression, she succeeded. "YOU SAW US!?! WHEN?! WHERE?" "When, I don't remember exactly...but WHERE...oh, you were probably getting excited doing that in the park...where everyone could see you." "Was Shinji with you?!" For some reason, all that Misato seemed to be afraid of was that Shinji may have seen her in such a... compromising position. "Fortunately not! I was going to Hikari's place." "Phew...what a relief..." Misato sighs, as if a heavy weight just flew off her shoulders. She then nearly forgot what she was talking with Asuka about, and was going to leave the apartment for some reason, when she quickly remembered... "HEY!!! Asuka!" she said, turning around, but found no one else there. Misato ran to Asuka's bedroom and tried to open the door, but to no avail; it was now locked. Misato slumped with her back against the door, and softened her voice. "Asuka...forgive me. I want to talk with you calmly...woman to woman...do you understand? I need to talk with you about...uhh... bees and flowers...ummm--" The reply came to her almost muffled, but what it said was loud and clear. "I don't want to talk to ANYONE right now!!! GO AWAY!" Seeing that this was going absolutely nowhere, Misato decided to give up...for now. "Well...well...we'll talk later, then." This came out in a resigned sigh as she walked away from Asuka's door. 'Those damn kids are gonna kill me one day,' she thought. --- In the street, Rei was walking towards her apartment, as usual. But today... "AYANAMI!" Shinji's shout was all that Rei needed to pause and turn her head back to see him running towards her. She waited for him to catch up to her before resuming her pace. "Ayanami...hahhh...hahh..." he panted, trying to catch his breath after his sudden sprint. "What is it, Ikari-kun?" "Umm...the other day...err...anyway, I wanted to talk with you." "Really?" Even though Rei's expression was usually blank, regardless of the circumstances, a hint of a surprise could be seen on her face. "Yes," Shinji softly replied. "Then, let's talk." She started to walk again. Shinji walked beside her, trying to find the right words to say. He usually wasn't very comfortable with Rei, and the recent events with Asuka weren't helping him at all now. "Well, about what happened to Asuka yesterday..." "Oh. You mean Sohryu's pregnancy?" "Errrr...y-yes..." Shinji could feel a light blush spread across his face. "What is it, Ikari-kun?" "I felt that...uh...well...I-I don't...I may be wrong here, but..." "Yes?" Rei replied calmly. "I saw you looking at her, and it looked kind of like you were jealous..." Rei suddenly stopped walking, causing Shinji to stop as well. He blushed a little. 'Her, jealous? No...couldn't be... "Did I...did I...are you getting upset because of what I just said?" "I don't know this feeling." "You..." "What is being jealous?" "You...you mean you weren't?" Still, Shinji was certain she was... "What is being jealous?" she calmly repeated. "Let's see...it's when you envy someone because he or she has something you don't or can't have for yourself...I mean...that's what I think." Rei thought about this brilliant explanation of the 'jealousy' concept for a moment. "So that is being jealous, then?" "Y-yeah..." "Then perhaps I am jealous," she said, resuming her walk once again. "So you are?" Shinji asked, just to make sure. "I think." "Are you angry with me?" "No." "N-no?" Again, the mysterious Ayanami confounded Shinji, making him feel smaller than he was, for some reason. "No." "You sure? I mean...jealousy also usually brings anger..." "Really? Should I be angry?" "I think so." Poor Shinji. He didn't seem to realize what the consequences would be if Rei was a normal teenage girl... "Then perhaps I am angry with you, Ikari-kun." Shinji's gulp could be heard from at least a block away. "But I can't be angry with you." "W-why?" he asked, uncertain of what would happen next. "I just can't." "Ah..." He sighed, quite relieved that Rei was the peaceful type, unlike their fellow Eva pilot. He found it strange that fate brought him closer to the hot-headed Asuka than to the tranquil Rei. A short pause occurred, as neither of the two teens could think of anything to say now. "I-I must go now...Misato-san is probably waiting for me," Shinji said, as he got ready to turn at a street corner. "Is Major Katsuragi angry with you?" "Ah? Hmm...I think she is, a little..." he said, with obvious worry in his voice, before a second voice in his head appeared to say the things he wanted to say out loud to somebody, but just couldn't. 'Misato is a really odd person to live with. Even if she seems to be too childish for an adult, it's very pleasant to live in the same apartment,' Shinji admitted to himself. 'Well, it WAS pleasant. Before Asuka arrived...' "Is it because she is jealous?" Rei added. "What? Don't say such things, Ayanami! Misato is our guardian. She's just angry because I hadn't thought about what I did BEFORE I did it." 'No...there's no way Misato could feel jealous about this...' "You realize what you did?" "Y-yeah...I feel sorry for Asuka." 'But she provoked me! That bitch...' "That's good. Realizing your sins is the first step to repentance." This surprised Shinji. Rei had never seemed the type to think of things in Catholic terms. However, considering that she had been a pilot at NERV longer than he had, and that the place did seem to have that sort of undercurrent to it, right down to their motto, "God's in his heaven, all's right with the world," then maybe it was something that had unconsciously become a part of her. It made him even more uncomfortable with the subject he had just been talking with her about. "Well...I have to turn here. See you tomorrow at school." Shinji not only wanted to go home, but he also wanted to end this particularly embarrassing discussion with Rei. "Goodbye, Ikari-kun." --- Shinji was on his way back to Misato's apartment, walking down the sunny Tokyo-3 streets. He was also deeply lost in his thoughts about what happened today. 'Well...I don't know why I always feel uncomfortable with Ayanami. She isn't mad at me but I think she feels jealous...I'm probably a little crazy, too. Why am I thinking that every girl I know wants to get closer to me?' He paused to look at the sky. 'Poor Asuka...I'm sorry for what I've done...but, on the other hand, it was HER idea in the first place...' --- He flashed back to that night at Misato's apartment: He was watching TV on the couch, but, strangely, he was also listening to tracks #25 & #26 his SDAT: "I...mustn't run away...You feel the same way...tadam, tadam...wap doo wap..." He found himself singing softly while listening to the music. Asuka was sitting at the table, looking at him. She seemed bored, but somehow more than bored. More like...restless. "Hey, Shinji!" she called out. Shinji just sat there, unable to hear her over the music, so she decided to talk a little louder. "HEY, SHINJI! GET THOSE EARBUDS OUT OF YOUR EARS OR I'LL KILL YOU!!!" she shouted at him. Still no answer. "Humphh..." Seeing that that wasn't working, she reverted to another tactic of hers. "Shiiiiiinjiii...Rei just got out of the shower and *she's not wearing a towel*..." she said, in a seductive tone. "What?" he replied, removing his earbuds and looking at Asuka. 'You stupid pervert,' she thought, then turned to face him. "Hey, I'm bored..." Shinji gasped. He knew what would come next. "Oh, no...you don't wanna practice kissing again, do you? No way!" "...wanna do something naughty?" "Huh?" he gasped again. "I mean, do you wanna fuck?" Shock. Surprise. Terror. "WHAT? Cut it out, Asuka! We're only 14! You can't be serious!" "And what's the matter with that? Everything has to start somewhere." She still seemed as calm as ever. Well, as calm as Asuka could get, anyway. "Are you serious?" "Yeah, I'm serious. And really bored. What's the matter, are you scared or something?" She stood up from her chair and walked up to Shinji. She then sat on the couch, close to him. She looked in his eyes, he looked back into hers, and he soon found himself hypnotized by their deep oceanic blue. "Hmm...wait, Asuka...I don't think I'm ready and...you seem to be forgetting...WHAAA!!!" Needless to say that poor Shinji was terrorized. "Don't tell me you're not a man. Or is it that you don't *want* to be a man?" She then undressed quickly and began to do the same for him...and... [HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!! This isn't a lemonfic! You ecchi! We'll assume they each had their first sexual experience here. Let your perverted imagination take care of the rest if you want it that way. I can only tell you one thing: They were exhausted at the end of it all!] --- Back to the present. Misato's apartment. Shinji walked very quietly down the hallway. He seemed to be trying to avoid something, or someone... "Hope she isn't here..." he whispered to himself. The place seemed totally quiet. Shinji walked into the kitchen and searched for something to eat in the refrigerator. He seemed surprised that nobody else was at home. "Phew...Asuka's not here..." he sighed. However, he suddenly heard something coming from behind "Hell's Mistress"' door... "Crying?" He softly walked to her door, slowly reached for the knob with his trembling hand, and quietly turned it. For some strange reason, it was unlocked. The door was only half-open and it was pretty dark inside, but he could see the red-haired girl laying on her bed, facing the wall, crying and sobbing. 'For someone who pretends to be so strong, it's really strange to see her crying...but...she's human, after all...' he thought to himself. He finally opened the door to her room, after a few moments. Asuka didn't even turn her head from the wall to see who had profaned her only...home... "WHO'S THERE!?" Shinji didn't answer. Not out loud, anyway. "WHO'S THERE!??" she asked louder. "It's only me. Asuka-chan..." Then he thought, why did he just call her "Asuka-*chan*"? He usually never said that. Always "-san." Why did he say that now? Still facing the wall, Asuka choked out, "Shinji...get out of here. I don't want to see your face anymore," between sobs. "Asuka..." "You heard me! Go away!" she managed to say, clearly that time. He came a little closer to her, and sat on the foot of the bed. "Don't come any closer! Or I'll kill you!" she threatened him. And Shinji knew that, when Asuka threatened you, it was best to do as she said. He got up and then sat down in the chair by her desk. "What do you want...Casanova?" She sobbed louder. This wasn't a easy situation for either one of them. "What's going on, Asuka?" "YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!" she almost shouted. "...you're right. Forgive me," he said, looking down, as if he had done something shameful. From the other side of the room, the sobs continued. "What are you going to do...?" "WHAT A STUPID QUESTION, YOU IDIOT! I'm going to get an abortion." "Are you serious?" he responded, shocked. "And why not? I'm not going to raise this child by myself! Besides, he has no father." Shinji was obviously very hurt by those words. "What are you talking about? I'm...I'm...I'm his father, after all, aren't I?" he says softly. "What's that supposed to mean? That I'll have to marry you and that we'll have to live together forever? NO WAY!" Shinji looked down at the floor before talking in a very quiet voice. "I'm really sorry...Asuka...I didn't want to--" "You 'didn't want to'...DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID? You boys are all alike. You only listen to your hormones." "That's not true!!! And besides, it was YOUR idea! And don't you DARE tell me you didn't enjoy doing it!" 'What am I saying? Is this really me?' he thought. Silence overtook the room. However, a few seconds later, the sobs started again... "I...I was just teasing you...but, no...you're a boy, you can't see that. You only saw that I wanted to sleep with you! You're disgusting!" She knew this was all her fault. Still, she was looking for a way to make Shinji feel that he was responsible as well, and almost succeeded, until he clenched his fist, raised his head and spoke out in a disturbingly calm and clear voice. "No. You're the disgusting one. You provoked me into doing it with you. I can't believe you think it's only my fault. You brought the whole thing up in the first place, and you enjoyed it, too. I feel so ashamed. Not because of what I've done. I'm ashamed of YOU, Asuka!" "You stupid...you don't understand anything..." "Of course I understand! You're gonna have a baby because of ME! I can sense what you feel right now. You probably really hate me, even more than usual. But you shouldn't make others suffer for your personal hatred!" Asuka's eyes opened wider for a moment, and then started to shed more tears... "Why should I make you suffer? You don't care at all about my..." Her voice trailed off. "...my child..." "OUR child. I was there, too, remember?" he corrected. "Hmph. Don't make me laugh. I'm his mother, you are nothing. Anyway, it will soon be a thing of the past. Don't worry," she said, trying to sound unconcerned about the whole thing. She obviously wasn't. "You can't do that! I'll do whatever it takes to stop you from doing this...this..." He trailed off, unable to find the right words to express the horror he felt at the idea of abortion. "Sounds funny coming from your mouth, ecchi--" "Look, *I* have feelings, too! You're not the only one concerned! I'm fed up with this, Asuka! You never listen to others...you always shut yourself up in your room to escape reality! I know what I'm talking about. I've been down that road, too. And until recently, I was running away from my fears! I was even running away from you! When I realized that I gave you a child, I...I thought about myself, about others, about what I feel, and came to this conclusion: I mustn't run away from a girl who needs me!" "...I don't need you, oberarsche [super asshole]..." Shinji stood up, obviously frustrated. "I'm tired of talking to someone who won't even listen to what I'm saying. I'm going out for a walk." He put the chair back in the nook of the desk, and left the room. Asuka realized that she was alone again. "I wonder...what it's like to give birth?" she said softly, almost a whisper. --- Shinji made his way out of Asuka's room. To his surprise, someone had been waiting for him. "Very impressive, Shinji-kun. How is she?" Misato Katsuragi was standing just outside the door, in her apartment clothes, her usual can of beer in hand. "Ah...Misato-san...well...I...I think I was a bit rude with her. I think I lost my temper." "I don't think so." "You...you were listening!?" he said, surprised. "Yeah." "So...you know everything." He looked down. "I already know it's not all your fault because she told me a few hours ago, when she came home from school." "So, what are we going to do now? Will her pregnancy affect her piloting skills? She wants to abort!" "I'm not sure, but...Ritsuko told me that her current condition could result in her synchro rate going down a bit." "Damn, that won't be any help at all." "And as for her wanting an abortion, I'll be honest with you, Shinji-kun. My feelings are mixed between wanting her to keep it and not. We still need her as a pilot, but, on the other hand, I can't force her to do anything..." Shinji was only half-convinced, as he knew how important the threat of the Angels was to Misato. For all he knew, she was probably hoping deep down that Asuka would decide to not keep her child just so she could continue to pilot Unit-02. The idea chilled him to the bone. "I find it a bit tough, you know. I feel like abortion is a crime." "I understand how you feel about the matter, Shinji-kun. Anyway, the decision is ultimately hers." "I guess you're right..." Shinji sighed. "Yup. I think it's best for her to not go to school for a few months, until we understand the situation better." "Okay," he nodded. "Don't worry, Shinji-kun. I'll take care of her..." "And what if an Angel attacks?" "Let's pray hard," she said, grinning. "I see..." he concluded, sarcastically. --- The next morning, Ikari Shinji checked Asuka's room. The same bed, the same girl, the same setting. Without a sound, he went off to school. When he finally reached his home room, he met up with Kensuke, Toji and Hikari. "Hi, Shinji!" Kensuke called out, in his usual cheerful voice. "Hi there," added Toji. "Ikari? Why is Asuka not with you?" the class representative asked, in a rather concerned tone. "Hmmm...she's ill. And it seems to be pretty serious." "Ah? The bitch is sick?" "Kensuke! Don't talk like that about our friend Asuka! She doesn't deserve it!" Hikari snapped back in her usual bossy tone. "Any details?" asked Toji, visibly a bit more concerned than Kensuke about the matter. "Sorry, but Misato told me to keep quiet." "Oh, come on, Shinji! You can tell us! We won't say anything! You trust us, don't you?" As usual, Kensuke was trying his best to extract any kind of information about NERV and the Evas from Shinji. Toji glared at him, then faced Shinji. "Besides, she looked alright yesterday. Are you hidin' somethin' from us?" "Of course not. She's ill because she inhaled too much of the liquid we use at our last synchro test last night." "No need to keep this a secret, Ikari. By the way, where can I visit her?" "I'm afraid you can't. She's staying in a high-security hospital room at NERV. I even had to summon Misato to enter," he said, looking up at the ceiling. 'For now, Misato's plan works...' "You seem very self-confident, Shinji. It's not like you," Kensuke said, smiling. "You're right, Kensuke. Maybe he did some naughty things to her and now she's recoverin' from the ride...OUCH!!" Toji was interrupted by a school bag connecting with his head. Hikari's, obviously. "Don't say such things, you pervert!" "Sorry, class rep." Kensuke and Shinji smiled at the two of them. 'The class representative switches moods really quickly... looks like Asuka's rubbing off on her...' Shinji thought, with a slight smile on his lips. --- While Shinji was in class, Misato called Ritsuko over the phone from home. She had to make a report to Ritsuko about Asuka's pregnancy. Things had been happening a little too fast for NERV to understand exactly what Asuka's condition was, and, for now, it was Misato's job to look after her. "Hi, it's Misato!" the young woman cheerfully sang into the phone. "Major, I have more important things to do than gossip." "Hey! I'm serious here!!!" "You don't sound serious to me." "Awww, shut up..." she said barely under her breath, her eyes narrowing. "So, what's the reason for your call, Major Katsuragi?" "I wanted to give you news about Asuka, but since you don't sound very interested in this call, I'll leave..." she said louder. Ritsuko liked to tease Misato, especially since she always sounded serious and Misato always fell for it, but now that she knew more about why she was calling, she dropped it. "Stop joking. How is she?" "Very upset. She had a discussion with Shinji yesterday about this. And it was pretty, uh...stormy." "I was expecting as much." "Don't play the bossy girl with me, Ritsuko! You're not a mother!" "Neither are you." "But *I* take care of children, don't I?" A slight sigh could be heard over the phone, coming from a tired doctor. "Okay, one point for you." "Well...and then I talked with her a little earlier this morning..." "She's not at school!?" "In her state, I didn't think it would be a good idea." "I guess you're right. And what came out of this discus- sion?" Ritsuko asked, almost dreading having to hear what sort of things the volatile pilot would say. "You won't believe this..." From the other end of the testing room... "She's *WHAT*?!" Ritsuko's outburst could be heard through- out the whole room. "Huh? Sempai?" Maya Ibuki asked from a console near Ritsuko. "You heard me. She's willing to keep and raise her child..." "Alone? That's ludicrous! She's completely crazy!" Ritsuko seemed panicked by the news. Still, Asuka wasn't her daughter... "Considering your mother and what you are now, I think you're right." Ritsuko grumbled a bit. That one hit pretty close to home. "Anyway, she...she can't be serious about it! And if an Angel attacks late in her term, she won't be able to pilot Unit-02!" "Oh, you found that out by yourself?" Misato asked, now amused by the young scientist's reaction. "Stop making fun of me, Misato! THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE!" "I know!!! But ONE life is more important than NERV's ambitions!" "Perhaps you think that ONE birth is better than BILLIONS of deaths, do you?" Ritsuko replied almost immediately. This time, it was Misato's turn to sigh in silence. "Okay, one point for you, too." "Try to convince her to abort! Really, she should reconsider!" "Ritsuko, I do not have the authority, nor the heart, to force her to kill her own child. I will NOT try to order her to do such a thing!" Ritsuko paused while she thought about Misato's words. "I thought about it, too. By letting her keep her child, we reduce our available pilot roster by a third. I know that things could get dangerous, but we really can't do anything about it. It's her child, so it's her choice," continued Misato. Ritsuko wanted to say something more about the situation, but couldn't, since Misato had just voided any further argument. "I guess you're right about this. I just hope that she'll seriously think about what she has done." "You know, I think I saw a *new* Asuka when I was talking with her. She's not like the competitive one we're used to...I think she senses the woman in her now," Misato remarked. "Quit rambling, Misato." "I warned her about the synchro rate. At first, she was really depressed, but then I told her that we would try to fix it..." "YOU WHAT!?? That's going too far, Major! How could you tell her things we just possibly can't do!?" Maya was beginning to get used to her sempai's outbursts, but the NERV staff generally aren't used to the idea of having to deal with a pregnant pilot, and everyone there was a little edgy. "I'm well aware of the fact that we don't know much about how something like this would affect synchro ratios, but look, I had to say something. I hate to lie to the Children, but this is a special case here." Misato could hear Ritsuko sigh on the other end of the line. "Don't worry. I know Asuka. Her score really depends on her psychological state. If we tell her things that will reassure her, it'll be just fine. Well, I hope so, at least," the Major added. "I hope so, too," the doctor sighed, only half-convinced by Misato's words. "Hmmm...errrr...Rit-chan...I've got a little favor to ask you..." "Oh, come on. I've heard it all today! What is it *now*?" "I'm not an expert in pregnancy, and...I was wondering... should I put her on a special diet or something? Any advice?" "Well...the first few months, she can do whatever she wants. After the third month, she must cut down on strenuous activities like sports--" "And EVA, I suppose," said Misato, interrupting her friend. Ritsuko sighed at that. "You suppose well. Now, about food: You must give her whatever she wants, even if it's too sugary. She needs to feed her child and herself, you know. She'll probably want specific foods. Even if they seem unusual, try to give them to her. Nothing with caffeine or alcohol in it, though." Misato winced a bit at the idea of doing without her two favourite substances. "I see." "I'll give you pre-natal vitamins as well, for her child. She may need them. I don't know how well she eats at home, so it'll probably help," the doctor added, remembering the last time she ate at Misato's place, and her cooking. "Okay, okay, as you wish." "Ah, and she MUST, at *any cost*, be HERE, every week. We have to study how this affects her synchronization with Eva, and have the doctors do ob/gyn checkups on her as well." "Yeah, yeah..." she sighed. A pause followed, which Ritsuko then broke. "Misato?" "What?" "Be a good nanny," Ritsuko playfully added. *click* "Misato...?" --- Back at Misato's apartment. She was in her bedroom, and had just hung up the phone suddenly, a bit of a peeved look on her face. Someone then knocked at her door. "Come in, Asuka." The door opened and a very livid Asuka walked in. Misato raised her eyebrows a bit, but otherwise didn't move. "What's...what's up, Asuka? You need something?" Misato asked, a bit nervously. "I'm...hungry!!!" Asuka announced, trying to inspire as much fear in her guardian as possible. 'Ah, here it comes...' thought Misato, before saying to her, "Okay, I'm going to buy some food. Is there anything you want in particular?" "I can't wait!! What have you got here now?" A little later, Asuka plowed through three bowls of ramen noodles, two bowls of rice and 14 cups of fruit yogurt. [Author's note: Private joke to Mygard, Yankee and Sir Gordon!!] Misato sat in front of her at the kitchen table, her head resting in her hands. "Boy, you eat like a horse..." she said, noticing that Asuka had finally finished her meal. "Whoa, that was great! I feel much better!" She then rubbed her stomach, stopping at one point, as a serious look came over her face. "I swear I can feel it..." she said softly. "You can?" Usually, at this stage of a pregnancy, a woman is not supposed to feel any movement inside. The embryo is still too small. But if Asuka says so... "I wonder when we can find out what sex it is?" she asked, looking right at Misato. "Patience! Very soon. Ritsuko told me they can check it out in a few months," said Misato, with a big smile on her face. She was kind of happy to see Asuka being so impatient, since she was concerned that she seemed to be changing too quickly. "I'm dying to know!" "What's going on here? You're not the Asuka I talked with last night!" she said, teasingly. "Cut that out!! You know I've changed my mind about that! I'm keeping it!" "Any ideas for a name?" "Oh yeah, yeah! I already thought about it! If it's a boy, it'll be Axel, and if it's a girl, it'll be Teri." [Author's note: Don't sue me...don't sue me...ahahahah....I'M THE WRITER HERE! I DO WHAT I WANT! YOU'RE NOTHING, JUST A PATHETIC READER!!! Uh, just forget about that crazy rambling...hmm... ^____^] "These aren't exactly common Japanese names," Misato remarked. "I can call my child whatever I want..." says Asuka, while looking away and crossing her arms around her chest, faking a pout. "Of course you can. But, did you talk with its father before choosing names?" Misato was waiting for a good moment to bring this subject into the conversation, and this seemed to be it. "Cut it out, Misato! I said I don't want to talk about HIM now." "Okay, okay, as you wish. But will you tell him you're going to keep the child?" "I don't know..." she said hesitantly, tracing circles on the kitchen table with her fingers. "You can tell me. This is between girls, after all! Oh, sorry! Between *women*." Asuka smiled, as she found it flattering that the woman who figures foremost in her life now thought of her as an equal. "Okay, I'll tell him. But not now. Maybe later." "Good." Suddenly, the front door of the apartment opened and revealed Shinji and his schoolmates Hikari, Toji and Kensuke. "Sorry, Misato-san, I wasn't able to get rid of them," Shinji softly whispered to Misato, with a grimace. His guardian replied with the same facial expression. Everyone was now in the kitchen, sitting at the table. Asuka walked in. Strangely, Shinji was trying to avoid her gaze. "Hi, everyone!" the redhead called out. "Asuka! You're here!!! But...Shinji told us you were very sick. I was worried." Hikari's tone showed some genuine concern, which made Asuka smile a bit. However, she then realized what her friend just said about Shinji... "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT!???????" Shinji immediately tried to hide behind Misato. "You lousy liar! I'll teach you..." Asuka raised her hand, ready to hit Shinji. "Hmmm...Asuka..." whispered Misato. "What! Why are you sticking up for him?" "It's not his fault...it was my plan. I didn't want to say anything about your...condition!" "'Condition'?" Toji and Kensuke repeated in unison, looking at each other. Hikari's brow furrowed a bit. "What's going on, Asuka?" "Umm...well, I...nothing really important..." "She's very distressed because...because she lost someone close to her...please understand, it's very difficult for her," Misato managed to say, in the most serious tone she could muster. This made Asuka snap. "What the...?" Misato leaned over to tell Asuka, as quietly as she could so no one else could hear, "Shut up, I'm trying to save your butt. You'll thank me later." "Oh, well..." sighed the redhead. Hikari's expression softened again. "Oh, that was why... sorry, Asuka. I understand." "So do we!" the two other stooges added. "Thanks." Silence suddenly fell upon them... "Hmmm...does anyone want noodles?" offered Misato. "Misato, I ate everything in the apartment today, remember?" "Oh, you're right." Misato realized her stupid mistake. "What? You ate that much today?! You'll get fat if you keep doing that!" teased Hikari. Asuka shook her head. "I know I'm going to be fat," she said, reluctantly. Hikari put her hand on Asuka's stomach, and began to tickle and squeeze it. "You see, you're already a bit plump!" Asuka had been on edge since she thought long and hard about her decision to keep the baby. To have someone touch her belly at this point was all she needed to push her over. "DON'T TOUCH ME THERE!!" she shouted loudly. Everyone jumped, gasped and rubbed their ears. Misato knocked over her cup of coffee in shock. "Asuka, what's wrong? Were you THAT full?" Hikari wondered out loud, while Asuka desperately fumbled to come up with an answer. "That hurts, Hikari...please...don't touch me...there... it's..." Misato was about to say something, but-- "It's my wound from the last fight," Asuka quickly but smoothly added. Misato was impressed. "Oh, I'm so sorry...I don't know what to do..." The class representative said softly, quite embarrassed by what she had done. "I'll be just fine. Don't worry." Toji leaned sideways to talk with Kensuke. "I never saw her smile before!" he whispered to him. "Not when she wasn't being arrogant. And WHEN did she get that wound?! She seemed fine when she came back to class after the last Angel attack," Kensuke whispered back. "Strange." Asuka noticed their conversation, and glared at the two of them. "What are you two complaining about?" They froze momentarily like deer in headlights before sputtering, "Oh, nothing! Nothing!" Now that Asuka's attention was fixed on the others, Misato leaned over to Shinji, who had been even quieter than usual as he sat at the kitchen table. "What's the matter, Shinji-kun? You haven't said a word," she said softly, a hint of worry in her voice. This made Shinji get up from his chair. "Uh, I just...I think I'm gonna go to my room. I don't feel well." "As you wish." "May I be excused?" "Of course," the Major replied, with a slight smile. She knew why Shinji was acting like this. She watched him leave the kitchen and disappear behind the door of his room. "What's happening to Shinji?" Toji asked, worried about his friend. "I think he just needs some rest," Misato explained. "Ahhh..." Misato then turned to Asuka's friend. "Hikari?" "Yes, Major Katsuragi?" "Could you please collect the printouts of Asuka's lessons for a few months and get Shinji to take them home with him? She won't be at school for a while." "O...of course, Major. But why?" "I can't tell you. Sorry." "I...I understand." Misato's statement almost made Asuka jump with joy. "Yeahaar!! I'll skip classes for months!!!" Misato shook her head. She was expecting that reaction from her roommate. "Hey, hey, you're not getting off that easy! You'll be at NERV almost every day. You won't have much time to relax." "Scheisse [Shit]!" --- TO BE CONTINUED... Misato: "So what'll happen to Asuka next? It's TOO calm, don't you think? Well, read the next episode: 'SECOND MONTH: A Nanny Needs Practice.' And next time...I'll take off the top!!!!!! And be ready for some fan service!" Axel: "Awwww, shut up, Misato!" Juju: "Yeah, enough already!" Misato: "Okay, okay..." :) -- AxelTerizaki - ASUKA's Network ASUKA's Notebook AFFR - Asuka Fanclub FRançais SEELE - A NGE fanfic review group ICQ# 34301980 - IRCNet: #teri-chan